Business news: New ventures for poultry companies

New facilities, products, and investments have been launched on to the international poultry sector recently. Where is the action and what is there to look out for? This concise overview gets you up to date.

Columbian egg producer partners with German biotech company

German biogas plant manufacturer, Weltec Biopower, will shortly start building an anaerobic digestion plant for Colombia‘s largest egg producer. The 800-kW biogas plant is to go live in early 2017. In terms of the feedstock input, the operator Incubadora Santander, which produces about 3.5 million eggs a day, plans to make use of the co-digestion of dry chicken manure from the laying hens and process water from the production.

Since the Colombian government started supporting the generation of renewable energies, especially the agricultural industry has discovered its huge biomass potential. So far, only little of this potential has been converted into green energy. The egg producer Incubadora Santander has decided to generate energy from biomass. The enterprise – which operates several poultry farms close to the western Colombian province of Cauca – markets its eggs under the “Kikes“ brand in 14 cities in Colombia.

Meyn expanding production facilities in Poland

Dutch poultry processing equipment manufacturer, Meyn has started to expand its plant in Lębork, Poland. This expansion project is expected to be completed in January 2017, and will be fully operational in June 2017. The plant will implement the drawer arrival and CAS system which have been recognised by a European animal welfare organisation for offering the lowest stress levels during the arrival and stunning processes.

The expansion will enhance the production space allowing to optimise the production flow from beginning to end so that all production processes will run unhampered and smoothly. The new layout will be an open and transparent work environment, which in turn will stimulate teamwork and cooperation.

Cargill turkey creates antibiotic-free product line

Cargill has ended the use of gentamicin – an antibiotic used in both human and animal healthcare – for disease prevention in turkeys harvested for its 2 largest brands, Honeysuckle White and Shady Brook Farms. Turkeys will continue to receive antibiotics for control and treatment of disease. Cargill’s turkey products covered by this decision will be available in the marketplace by Jan. 1, 2017.

Correspondingly, Cargill is expanding its antibiotic-free turkey products through the creation of its new Honest Turkey product line. These products will be differentiated from conventional turkey offerings because they come from turkeys that are never treated with antibiotics.

Novogen wins 6th consecutive Bastos egg contest in Brazil

Since its launch in the Brazil market in 2010, Novogen has been distinguished every year without exception with a title at the traditional Bastos egg competition in the white and/or brown egg categories. Over fifty farms, participated in the contest.

For the 57th edition, the first prize in the brown egg category has been attributed to ‘Granja Katsuhide Maki’, a Novogen partner.

Photo: Novogen

With this 2016 title, ‘Granja Katsuhide Maki’ accumulates 11 titles in the category. Christian Maki explains, “This success is the result of the excellent technical achievements with the Novogen Brown layer. Our farm has a capacity of 110,000 layers and is already working with the Novogen Brown since 2010”.

Cal-Maine Foods to acquire egg production assets of Foodonics International

US egg producer, Cal-Maine Foods, has signed a letter of intent to acquire substantially all of the assets of Foodonics International, Inc. and its related entities doing business as Dixie Egg Company. The assets to be acquired, subject to the completion of this transaction, include commercial egg production and processing facilities with capacity for approximately 1.6 million laying hens and related feed production, milling and distribution facilities in Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Dixie Egg Company also has contract arrangements for an additional 1.5 million laying hens.

In addition, Cal-Maine Foods will acquire the Egg-Land’s Best, Inc. franchise with licensing rights for portions of certain markets in Alabama, Florida and Georgia as well as Puerto Rico, Bahamas and Cuba. The Company expects to close the transaction in early October.

Plasson do Brazil to buy Brazilian cage company ATI

Plasson do Brazil. A wholly owned subsidiary of Plasson Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire 70% of ATI (Sangyo Equipamentos Avícolas), a company incorporated in Brazil operating in the fields of manufacturing cages for commercial layers and egg sorting machinery.

Completion of the transaction is subject to conditions precedent and the signing of a detailed agreement with ATI. However Plasson believes that the transaction will be completed by the end of 2016.

Elanco receives approval for AviPro Megan Egg for turkeys

Elanco Animal Health announced that the US Department of Agriculture has approved AviPro Megan Egg for Salmonella prevention in turkeys. The product has been used for a number of years to prevent Salmonella Enteritidis in the egg production industry.

Studies have shown that successive administration of the vaccine by coarse spray and drinking water routes reduces colonisation of the intestine with pathogenic Salmonella. In a controlled study day-old poults were vaccinated with AviPro Megan Egg at the hatchery and then revaccinated through drinking water at 3 weeks of age. Challenge with a field strain of Salmonella Typhimurium at 7 weeks of age showed reduced colonisation compared to non-vaccinated poults.

Berlin seminar focuses on progress in broiler performance

The 3rd Cobb technical round table held in Berlin for sales and technical managers from all over Europe focused on the performance of broilers originating from the new breeding programme at the Herveld research complex in the Netherlands.

A series of presentations dealt with current challenges for the industry including likely legislation of the future. “Customers wants an antibiotic-free world and we as a poultry industry want to help,” said John Vincent, director of quality assurance in Cobb Europe, opening his talk on how to reduce significantly the use of antibiotics.